Current on-line poll on cnn.com:

 

Are you driving less because of high gas prices?

 

Yes 70% 55488 

 

No 30% 24070 

 

Total Votes: 79558  

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/

Current on-line poll on cnn.com:

 

Are you driving less because of high gas prices?

 

Yes 70% 55488 

 

No 30% 24070 

 

Total Votes: 79558  

 

http://www.cnn.com/

 

 

Yep...recent EIA data shows gasoline consumption down a whopping 1% from the same time last year.  People are really making some sacrifices!

 

A major reason we need more transportation options.

ATA: Trucking fuel bill up $22 billion this year

 

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) says that based on current forecasts it's projecting that the trucking industry will spend as record $135 billion on diesel fuel this year, $22 billion more than it spent in 2007.

 

(The trucking, rail, and barge industries are all major users of diesel fuel but trucking is the most fuel intensive. A U.S. Maritime Administration study has shown that one gallon of fuel can move one ton of freight 59 miles by truck, 202 miles by rail, and 514 miles by barge. So when fuel prices soar, truckers are the worst hurt.)

 

More:

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml

 

(Note that the Association of American Railroads pegs their fuel efficiency at moving 1-ton of freight 423 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel.

I went out and bought a cheap used Ford escort for $800.  I filled it up today and it was only about $28, which is alot better than ~$60 in my other car.

I started car-pooling to downtown with my wife and was also able to give up a $90/month parking space.  Between gasoline and not having to pay a monthly parking fee, we're figuring a savings of $3-K annually. 

 

If my wife works late, I just take the COTA #2 to get home in the evenings.

Personally, I love what happens to my budget when the weather gets nice and I can ride my bike downtown.  I go from $40 a month in gas (I only drive an average of 7 or so miles a day when I have to) and $200 in parking to 0 for both.  Its free beer money every day of the week when its nice out :)

I went out and bought a cheap used Ford escort for $800.  I filled it up today and it was only about $28, which is alot better than ~$60 in my other car.

Where you the forumer that had an El Camino?

Where you the forumer that had an El Camino?

 

Nope, not sure who that was.

oh wait, it was MonteCarlos, and it was a Monte Carlo.

Interesting news from across the Pacific "pond"....

 

Drivers line up for gas as shortages grip China

Monday,  March 24, 2008 3:46 AM

By ELAINE KURTENBACH

Associated Press

 

SHANGHAI, China—China's leaders are facing renewed pressure over shortfalls in diesel and gasoline, with lines growing at filling stations in major cities today as the gap widens between international crude oil values and centrally controlled fuel prices.

 

The shortages, first reported in southern and inland China, appeared to be spreading to the wealthier coastal areas as filling stations struggled to get shipments from refiners. Four stations contacted today in Shanghai said their daily diesel shipments had not yet arrived.

 

More at:

 

http://dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/03/24/china.html?sid=101

So meanwhile, in England, we paid more than four pounds for a gallon of gas -- about 20-25 percent more than what we're paying here based on all the other costs of living in England/USA.

 

So how many times did I hear people in England complain about the price of petrol?? NONE.

 

But if you figure the exchange rate with our lousy dollar, we paid more than $80 dollars to fill the tank of our rental Toyota. But, like us, the Brits only think about the price of things compared to other costs of living, both now and in the recent past, not currency exchange rates.

'You're working for gas now'

 

The people of Camden, Ala. pay a bigger chunk of their income for fuel than anyone else in the country - meaning tough choices for the ever thinner family budget.

By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Last Updated: March 24, 2008: 1:45 PM EDT

 

CAMDEN, Ala. (CNNMoney.com) -- Corey Carter spends a quarter of his paycheck on gas.

 

The 30-year old Carter, who earns $7 an hour making car parts for a Hyundai factory near Montgomery, Ala., spends $65 a week on gas, double what it cost just a few years ago.

 

Paying $30 more for gas out of a $240 paycheck makes a big difference.

 

"Going out to eat, going to the movies, you can't do stuff like that," says Carter, filling up his Firebird at a BP station in Camden, a quiet southern town 80 miles southwest of Montgomery. "You're working for gas now."

 

Find this article at:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/24/news/economy/camden_alabama/index.htm?cnn=yes 

 

A very interesting report on which of 50 U.S. cities are best prepared for $4.00 per gallon gasoline and beyond. Note the rankings of Ohio cities.

 

http://www.commoncurrent.com/pubs/OilCrisis3.4.08.final.pdf

Interesting report. I don't disagree with his findings and rankings, particularly with Cleveland and Columbus.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/search/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/03/20/ddn032008chaseweb.html

 

 

Thursday, March 20, 2008

 

TROY,OHIO — A Bradford woman who led police on a pursuit from

Greenville to the west edge of Troy, where she allegedly deliberately

drove left of center and hit a state trooper's car, was listed in fair

condition later Thursday, March 20.

 

Greenville police said the pursuit began around 10 a.m. after a van

drove off without paying for $54 in gasoline....

 

 

RBOB futures went up to 2.75 today -- add 60-70 cents to that for the retail price. In others words, if you can find gas for less than $3.35 to $3.45 a gallon then buy it.

Diesel: The truck stops here

From haulers to loggers to landscapers, soaring fuel costs hit the bottom line but cutthroat competition keep price hikes at bay.

By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Last Updated: March 27, 2008: 12:43 PM EDT

 

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The kid who delivers your pizza may be charging you an extra buck for gas, but for the guy that trucked the tomatoes, hauled the dough or milked the cows, passing along the fuel increase isn't as easy as pie.

 

From truckers and farmers to loggers, construction workers and fishermen, skyrocketing diesel prices are pushing what many consider the backbone of the American economy right up to the breaking point.

 

"I'm in debt," says Jim Gossett, an owner/operator truck driver with a wife and daughter in Chapel Hill, N.C. "Do I turn in all my equipment, potentially lose my home?"

 

Find this article at:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/27/news/economy/diesel_impact/index.htm?cnn=yes 

 

Has anyone else observed people shutting off their cars at stoplights lately?  Biking around, I've noticed it a few times in the past few weeks.  Obviously, they're not saving any fuel and possibly using more, aside from wearing out their starter. 

Americans don't yet have much of a clue how to conserve fuel. I can tell them, but I doubt they'll like my answer. But they may like it more than James Howard Kunstler's!!

They may not know how to conserve fuel outside of a few small steps, but people instinctively know something is wrong and that what is happening is a long term trend they'll have to adjust to. That's healthy and they will find ways to adjust as the reality starts to set in.

 

I think at the same time that there will be such a clamor for transit and rail that by the time the studies for the 3-C (Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati intercity rail passenger) are done, the decision to go ahead will be a foregone conclusion. We now have leaders like Columbus Mayor Coleman saying that we have no choice but to build the Columbus streetcar. This from a man whose downtown plans a few short years ago had NO transit component!!!

 

 

I remember, in late 2004, all of a sudden seeing almost every pickup truck ditch their spare tire.

RBOB futures went up to 2.75 today -- add 60-70 cents to that for the retail price. In others words, if you can find gas for less than $3.35 to $3.45 a gallon then buy it.

 

It was $3.099 today at the GetGo in Twinsburg.

Was that after the shoppers discount? :)

 

It was $3.20-something at the Clark in front of our office in North Olmsted. They used to have some of the best prices, but I don't think that's the case anymore.

Even the last of the milkmen is being driven out of business by fuel costs.

 

Mike Harden commentary:

The milkman's last run

Prices force customer favorite out of the business

Sunday,  March 30, 2008 3:22 AM

By Mike Harden

 

Peggy Kose watched a piece of history walk out her front door on Thursday and marveled, "His family has had a key to our house since 1950. If we were gone, they knew how much milk we needed and would put it in the refrigerator."

 

All of that ended Thursday when Pickerington milkman Gary Bocock ran his route for the last time.

 

More:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/30/MIKE30.ART_ART_03-30-08_B1_C09PD8D.html?sid=101

 

Click to see images of the last day for the milkman:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/multimedia/audio_slideshows/2008/03/milkman/index.html

 

I have $4.23 per gallon built up in Giant Eagle Fuelperks. Me and the missus are going to rendezvous tomorrow and do a double-dip (she in the Volvo, me it the Civic) fill-up, maxing out the 30 gallon limit. We've done this three times already. Giant Eagle still hasn't questioned how a Honda Civic can hold 30 gallons of gas.

koow - I'm jealous!  I got yelled at by the old fart  :police: behind the register at the Westlake GetGo for filling up a gas canister in my trunk (for the snowblower) while using Fuelperks - I think he made a note in my permanent record... :oops:

Just got back. $29.84 gallons @ $0.00 = $0.00. Best part? The pump saying "Price per Gallon: 0.00." Second best part: the receipt saying "Total saved today: $95.48." Sad part is, we've overpaid that by a longshot, taking Giant Eagle's outrageous mark-up into account. The price of convenience, I suppose. With warm weather returning, though, we'll be able to walk up there with the wagon and bring back 6-7 bags without ever setting foot on the accelerator.

Meanwhile.... up North....fuel prices are being felt in Canada as well.... and here's how our neighbors are dealing with it.

 

Bike, transit use rising along with gas prices

Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun

Published: Friday, March 28, 2008

 

A majority of British Columbians say rising gasoline prices are causing financial hardship in their households, according to an Angus Reid Strategies survey released Thursday.

 

British Columbians lead Canada in turning to bicycles, public transit or selling their cars as an alternative to paying more on gas.

 

The most popular methods for Canadians to cope with higher gas prices are driving less, buying less gas or walking more.

 

More:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=72c2bf3b-c535-43c5-8df4-e5bc9abe8ebb

filling up the tank with less gas than usual (28 per cent)

 

Uh, while this does make the car lighter, thereby making it use slightly less gas, it doesn't really do much. Perhaps it has some psychological effect. A 1200lb F1 car will see a difference, but a 4000lb street car?

I figured people weren't filling their gas tanks because they just didn't want to spend as much.

They probably still drive as much...they just spend less more often.

I never fill up a full tank anymore. 1) Shockingly expensive 2) The way gas prices fluctuate, chances are I'll fill it up at $3.30, then I'll drive by the same station six hours later and it'll be $3.04. 3) My Honda is teensy-weensy, so there could be a 1 mpg leap in fuel economy. E'y 'lil bit helps...

Wait, don't you live like in the center of Columbus?

 

I'd invest in the following long-term:

1. Moped with a rack to hold groceries. 80 MPG on a 2-gallon tank, and can surprisingly hold a lot. Especially if you get a model with fatter wheels.

2. Bicycle with a rack or a small trailer.

 

Where do you shop at? Is it far away or is it like at North Market?

 

If you use your car primarily just for work, then how far away is that?

I live downtown, but my employer has chosen to do business in Polaris: Columbus's hottest anti-pedestrian big box fast food & office park Freedom Enhancement Zone (trademark pending). COTA service ends two miles from our new Polaris office; it ended right at our old Polaris office, but there, the last bus back downtown departed at 4:45, far too early for my typical work schedule. My commute is 30 miles round-trip daily, but I carpool with folks in my general area when possible.

 

North Market doesn't carry the groceries we need, so we tend to do little trips to Giant Eagle less than 1 mile away (about a 15 minute walk), and 2-3 big shops per month at Marc's and Costco, which we always combine with other trips. 

 

This, combined with BP cards earned with National City debit card points, driving 60 mph on the dot, and the occasional GetGo Fuel Perks fraud, keeps our fuel bills as low as humanly possible.

 

My dream is to work downtown and foot commute, but that's a couple of years off career wise. We'll see. We'll see. We could easily ditch one of our two cars if necessary. Considering they have a combined mileage of 310K, that decision may be made for us very soon...

I'm surprised jet fuel is less expensive than gasoline or diesel fuel.

Truckers protest high fuel prices:

Independent haulers snarl traffic, idle rigs

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23903144/

Where IS Iraq's oil revenue going? I can't find any info online.

^The people of Iraq. Or what's left of them.

Demand for gas expected to drop

Prices still may hit $4 a gallon, agency says

Wednesday,  April 9, 2008 3:04 AM

By John Wilen

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK -- Retail gas prices could climb as high as $4 a gallon this summer, but prices at such lofty levels will make many Americans think twice about hitting the road, the Energy Department said yesterday.

 

High prices and a weak economy are expected to cut demand for gasoline by about 0.4 percent during the peak summer driving season, the department's Energy Information Administration said in a monthly report on petroleum supplies and demand. Overall consumption of petroleum products will drop by 90,000 barrels a day this year. Previously, the EIA had projected that it would rise by 40,000 barrels a day.

 

More:

http://dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/04/09/gas_demand.ART_ART_04-09-08_C8_G49S65C.html?sid=101

Rising Fuel Prices Thread: How we're feeling it...

 

 

I ain't feeling it.  My schedule for the rest of the year is about set...4 miles from my salary job and 2 miles from my part-time night teaching job.  Well under 100 miles a week.  Unfortunately with the heat arriving soon I won't be able to walk or bike to the main job since it doesn't have showers.  Also, it's upwards of an hour bus ride given the tranfers so no bus. 

I'm most worried about the rural farmers.  We need to cut off fuel to city dwellers immediately and same some for the farmers.  Otherwise we'll lose out on important commodities. 

 

Also, BUY LOCAL!!!!!  It's really not that difficult.  Just do a google search to find the co-ops in your area or do a crop share.  Plus, the food is noticeably better tasting and last a couple of weeks longer.

An excellent story in this morning's Dispatch:

 

Will the exodus to the hinterlands run out of gas?

Planners reassess how central Ohio will grow

Wednesday,  April 16, 2008 3:17 AM

By Mark Ferenchik

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

This has been the central Ohio growth story for years: more people moving farther away from Columbus as developers turn verdant farm fields into housing subdivisions.

 

Farther and farther out the subdivisions sprout.

 

But no one's had to pay four bucks a gallon for gasoline on their way to work. Yet.

 

Soaring gasoline prices could influence the way this part of the world grows over the next 20 years, a new report suggests.

 

More:

 

http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/16/MORPCREPORT.ART_ART_04-16-08_A1_3R9UL7R.html?sid=101

I'd love to take a piece of abandoned property in Cleveland city limits-  preferably right around where I live, plant a few tomatoes, some herbs, throw some chickens out there. Maybe a pig. I could go take care of them after work. And them eat them at some point of course.

Slow Down a Little, Save a Lot of Gas

Speeding on the highway adds a surprising amount to your fuel costs.

 

by Peter Valdes-Dapena

 

With gas prices rising, gas-saving advice abounds: Drive more gently, don't carry extra stuff in your trunk, combine your shopping trips.

 

This is all sound advice but there's one driving tip that will probably save you more gas than all the others, especially if you spend a lot of time on the highway: Slow down.

 

More:

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/104752/Slow-Down-a-Lttle-Save-a-Lot-of-Gas

I was at a conference in Tahoe City, CA last week.  87 octane gas was $4.04 a gallon.  Glad I wasn't buying. 

 

 

>Despite today's high gas prices, don't expect to see a return to the national 55 mph speed limit. The law was unpopular in its day, and higher speeds have become so institutionalized that even the Environmental Protection Agency's fuel economy test cycle now includes speeds of up to 80 mph.

 

 

I think it's more than coincidence that the speed limits were raised while gas was 75 cents in the 90's.  And the cost-benefit of building urban highways to safely handle fuel inefficient speeds is beyond illogical.  The capacity advantages of high speed are so easily undermined by the caprices of individual drivers that this optimum situation only exists for brief periods during daily rush hours. 

 

Riding in cars with coworkers and other people I don't like is always an eye-opener...actually riding in one of those cars you see maintain speed then brake hard for red lights, tailgate at 70mph, etc.  It's all symptomatic of selfish mindsets.  I love driving those people crazy with my grandpa driving style. 

 

 

>don't carry extra stuff in your trunk

 

Words to live by. 

 

 

 

 

I think it's more than coincidence that the speed limits were raised while gas was 75 cents in the 90's

 

Actually, it was in 1987. The increase from 55 mph on rural interstates was one of the provisions of the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act.

^But I think it didn't change here in Ohio until some time later.  Obviously a lot of urban interstates still have lower speed limits...I think the original Fort Washington Way had a 45mph speed limit. 

The change was immediate for 900 miles rural interstates as it was tied to a raising of the drinking age from 19 to 21 for beer or else states risked losing federal highway dollars.

 

There were several other increases (see below) for additional sections of highway, both rural and urban. You may be recalling these...

 

1987 - 65 mph for cars on 900 miles of rural interstates, 55 mph for commercial vehicles weighing more than 8,000 lbs.

1991 - 65 mph for cars on another 246 miles of interstates

1992 - 65 mph on 209 miles of rural noninterstates

1996 - Speed limits raised to 65 mph on designated urban interstates and rural highways for passenger vehicles and commercial buses

 

Source: Ohio Historical Society